Filling apparatus.



Patented May 2, 1910.

K. K!EFER. FILLING KPPARATus.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18. I909.

KARL KIEFER, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

FILLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2 1 916.

Application filed December 18. 1909. Serial No. 533,934.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Kain. Kmrsn, a citi zen of the United States, residing at (incinnati. in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filling Apparatus, of which the following is a spccification.

My invention relates to filling machines, and has for its object the provision of means to increase the accuracy of filling, con "enience of operation, and etliciency and durability of the apparatus as a whole.

My invention consists in the parts and in the details of construction and arrangemei'it of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical Section, of my improved filling apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the universal hangings for the filling tubes. Fig. 3 is a similar detail of the fork forming part of one of these hangings. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of my improved filling tubes, shown with th sleeve raised, and with part of the structure shown in vertical section. Fig. 5 a side elevation of the device, with the sleeve lowered, and the tube closed.

The filling tubes are carried by the ring A, and are of a type similar to those illus trated in my Patent No. 865,395, of September 10, 1907.

The machine operates by siphonal action, the liquid supply being under atmospheric pressure, and the air being allowed to escape from the bottle between the bottle-top and the stop on the tube, which fits inaccurately against the bottle-top, without a gasket. The flow of liquid into the bottle is stopped when the liquid in the bottle reaches the level of the liquid supply. A valve in the end of the tube closes as the tube is withdrawn from the bottle, keeping the tube and its supply passage filled with liquid. Thus,

in starting the machine, it is necessary to fill the tube and passage, by suction, or otherwise as will hereinafter be explained; but after that, the flow 1.2.1 start as soon as the valve in the end of the tube is opened, at

each application of a bottle, due to the siphonal action.

The machine as a whole is mounted on a base B, by means of a column C. rigidly secured to the base. A hollow column 1) sur rounds this stationary column C, and is rotatable thereon. The upper end of this hollow column supports a tank E, which is made with a bottom 0 having a hub a lit ting rigidly in the open upper end of the hollow column.

The tank for sanitation, and for ready inspection of its interior, has a shell 6 of glass. mounted on the bottom and secured thereto, with suitable gaskets, by an upper rim 1:" with bolts 0" engaging the bottom, outside the shell.

The hub c of the bottom (1 of the tank E is open, and a central tube is rigidly se cured therein. rising therefrom to about the height of the upper side of the rim of the shell. this tube forming a liquid-tight passage up through the center of the tank for tho reduced part c of the central stationary column to extend up through. The cover F for the tank is secured to this reduced oxtcnsion c, at the upper end thereof. This cover F extends out over the rim of the shell. and lies closely adjacent to said rim, and to the upper end of the central tube, so as to close the tank against the outer air in as thorough a manner as is necessary.

As above stated, according to the principlo ot' the machine, the liquid in the tank must be open to atmospheric pressure, to cause the siphonal action. It is, however,

generally undesirable to have the surface of the liquid freely exposed to the air in such manner as to allow considerable evaporation. This is especially important when filling alcoholic liquors or any volatile fluids. 'lhcrefore, while an air-tight connection, between the cover and the top of the tube and rim of the shell is not permissible, nor even desirable, a close approach of these parts such as will prevent appreciable currents of air over the surface of the liquid, is of advantage. The relative movement between the parts is also freely permitted, and there is no wear at those points, as would be the case were it necessary to have gasket connections between them. It will thus be apparent that this construction is especially This cover,

standard H is mounted, having radial arms the keyvvay (Z in the column.

may be of cork, embraces the central tube (2 and the reduced part c of the column (7 therein.

By the construction just described, the tank is allowed to revolve, with the ring A that carries the filling tubes, while the valve, controlling the supply or liquid to the tank, and the float mechanism, regulating the valve, are allowed to remain stationery, with the source of supply of liquid, while at the some time, any complicated revolving connection from source of supply to filling tubes, is avoided.

The ring A that carries the filling tubes, before mentioned. is supported by the upper standard G, which comprises radial posts 2 curving upward from a hub which slides up or down on the hollow column I), being raised or lowered by means of a handvvheel 8 running on threads on the exterior of the hollow 00 ,l mu. Thisstzindurd is held to rotate with the hollow column, at any ad justment, by a key 9 sliding in o keywayi (Z in the column D.

The machine may have any convenient number of filling tubes arranged around the ring A, only two being shown, and the positions of others being merely indicated by vertical broken lines, for sake of clearness.

Lower on the hollow'oolumn D, the lower 4 curving upward from a hub that surrounds the column. A hondwheel 3, Sllllllfll to the handwheel 3, runs on threads on the hollow column, to adjust the lower standard up or down. This lower standard is also prevented from turning on said column, but held to revolve with it, by a. key h sliding in The arms 4 carry the table K, on which restthe vessels 5, to be filled. Adjustment or". the table K vertically allows for filling: bottles of various heights. The ring A, with the filling tubes carried thereon, is udjustod vertically, as above described, to allo'u the extent of projection of filling tube into a bottle to be regulated, and to allow the distance of the outlet of any given tube below the level in the tank E to be regulated Thus, with a small bottle, not only is it desirable to use ier filling tube, but the projection of n suc a tube below said liquid level may in bulk equal to a considlerable proportion of thccapucity of the bottle, whereupon this bulk must be lessened by-ru'isin the tube with respect to the liqu io level. lVith a larger bottle, where theqbulk of' the tube is not so significant, the tube not only may be larger, but may be lowered, so that the advantage of rapid outflow resulting from increasing the distance of the outlet below the liquid level in the tank E, is attained Thus, by having the tubes as well as the table vertically adjustable with lespcct to the tank E and With respectwto each other,

every bot the co'udit customary l with interchangeable ameters and different in if filling bottles of .dlfl'lll These ad allow the conditions to use of" these various to p u. well as for'ao commodating the various bottles to be filled by the tubes,

Radial s on compartments correspon tubes, and the when pushed sideu 1 table, and with it the i i column D and the ring A, curried ti with the filling tubes, as well as the lone: above de scribed.

In taking the bottles oil the filling tubes, careless operators are liu 13 to bend the tubes, so that some form hunging of the tube re chines are provid d with rcwinlly swinging tubes, but to reu the :s'meluue thoroughly proof against such dean-age :1 universal hangingis required. 1 1w this require ment with a simple, su and quickly separable universal luv bearing 7, for each of the tillingmzbe bolted rigidly on the ringg A. before dea billed. A fork 9, embracing and pivoted to euch tube, has stem 5 prm'idcil with :l transverse slot 1Q, near its free end, and having an inclined face 12 on this end. The bearing 7 has a burrel 11. *with s trunsve into its interior, near the rear end thereo u A spring ll is seen-"" to L1 v with on our; lying w when the il of tha res-l: fl is p d the barrel, the inclined face 12 raises the arm of the spring! Then, when the slot if) in the stem registers with the slot ll in the barrel, said arm of the spring will snap into the slot in the stem.

The slot in the stem is of sufficient depth to allow the proper iveling movement of the fork in the bee 1;: without the spring Mourning diseny-ige'il from the stem. Thus the fork r ineil against unintentional -lis1:l;r;' -n:'u"- V lion. Fm novel, the spring arm con tinucs past me slot in the barrel, to be engaged by the finger and raised out of'the slot in the stem. This combination is best illustrated in Fig. 2'. This quickly separubl hanging is especially convenient in starting the machine, as it is only necessary to lower the bottle. together with the filling; tube on its separated part of the with the av lilled under: 5 .l

of s best of this kind izes, as above rents, of course,

e divide it, into f ith the filling .ging the ribs to rotate the swivel in the, Somiinur tube open. below the level 02 the liquid in Also, use

dinerent di-- s, to proviuefo'r regulated for the cm the hearing, after inser 16 tuba. or o? the sleeve allo lining in piano, in the convenient manner ahova descrihed.

The filling: tuho usuall consists, 311 in nrv former f-"eltiili. ahovc incnri niul, of the luhc l3. propcr, and a alucvc i l. around it, the tuba having latrral n ii' re near it cud. over wliiru iljiu sleeve nudes-1. lhc ir-ova. in prartice his ei'i-nsidcrahlc i-learan e on the tube. mahir; it n cesairy to eloae the. annulai apace hctwwu them. This has heeu done by nicanof an annular valic seat. eitlur ol natal or of rubber it o! ruloher. the alecve cuts the war. after a short period of use. it of moi he ucflcot n o? the on li o tuhc. unavoid variation (if the couahlc in p tact 5 Matt. in either raw. age lo ranpcnsate for lllh. I cnploy a wunaina mn of metal and 2O rubher. llir wai 17 w: *i not sal ring by tho l .aiaptcd to raw ah; f'lit thin-ova i alion'cd to ho deflected iih the dome. and the rubber waaher i supporting tln Hi. 17 and allowing such deflection.

practica l.

providc 3hr llcxilue an,

rounding this rrduccijl part 18,

It is necessary that tho washer 15, which is held in place by a out it he of ample cross station. to all'ord a, Eta-21c support for the acat. and to be durallle enough to be ()n the other hand, the HJlll must not project apprecialr-lv pt the diameter of the i "e at any" point. since tho lllllllfl tube, as. a, ebolvmi capahlr; ot' insertion into bottle-'ncrln; ..nall valiber. l i FL. in combination 'ith the tube and *llt'OY-J, and fulfil the above conditiom. hy providii' the end of tho tutu" l3. proper. with a solid and, ha ing: a roduccd part [8, that this valve at 17. Mir ma v linden have the washer ction. and with cut the llilit. 13. and ma 15 of tho required rroo the required bca.rin; area hetwaen the undcr ride of tho seat and the. upper Sid: ol the, washer, without obicrtiouahhe exwuaion in dmnietrr at the end ol' the filling tube. The: cxtrouiity ol' the reduc d part 18 receives the nut M, whi h holds fi m washor and Seat in pi i hel'ore al uded to warn in tho dri A,

.i a pian parallel nth the end of the hawr. and makes conta r with the end oi the stoma s mcwhat alurwthe. uinlercut-- ling part of the tuhe. proper. but it will ho lli ll'l'litl j d that the Must. may have. a conical r val url'arc. uith th lower end of The to be ample. but at the same time results in increased durability of they valve.

llaving described my invention, what I claim a nciv and dcsirc to secure by Letters Patent. is:

l. in filling apparatus. a revolving column. a liquid tank carried by the revolving column. filling tubes having liquid outlets and connuunieatin with said tank. and vesscl-caraving mean to hold vessels for insertion of the tuhca. Said tubes and said vcssclcarrying nicans la-ing supported on Said renilving column to revolve with said tank hut to he adiualed with respect to each other and with 11 act to said tank.

2. In filling apparatus, in combination with a filling tubc thereof, a universal hanging for the lube comprising a bracket. and a fork turning in the braeket and embracing and having pivotal connection with the filling tube. at an angle to the turning of the fork in the bracket.

In filling: apparatus, .in combination with a filling tulr z thereof, a universal hang ing for the tube eonmrFing a bracket having a lmrrel, a fork having a stem entering the barrel of the bracket, said fork embracing and having pivotal connection with the filling tube at an angle to the stem, said barrel of the brackethaving' a slot cutting into its interior. said stl-m of the fork having a slot to moat the xlot in the barrel, and a detcnt on said bravket. having a part entering the sh t in tho atom through the SlOt in the harrei and having engaging: meam to remove it from the slot in the stem. said stem hailni: an im linr ion to engage the part of the latent on insertion ol the stem into the wat to engage the sleeve, and a flexible washer .Wipporting said valve Seat, Said wa her and the part of the seat which it (\nga 'geu heuigr ol' materially greater area than tllc part,- ol tlu: filtfih and valve seat that engage together. and said Seat and wacher being ol outside diameter not greater th n that of said sleeve.

5. In fil ing apparatus. a sleeve. a mem her inside. the sleeve closing its 0nd loosely. and alidable lliercin. an annular valve seat engaging the (ml of the sleeve to tightly close the end ol' alcove, v aid ralve seat surroundimc and lllllllfl'llttlllg said member that is inside the sleeve. and a llexihlo supporting: member \urrouuding said 'inside uuui H-r and sul lauliall v coextensive with aging part of said Iuulercutlingl a! apparalm a lllllllg lube with and lalc al -lliil"l.2l lllYt around ling our llu' orilh-e. an annular 'l l'illvlliliilfl' llw l'l 7. t l end of the rn fa jc with the cud ol the. sleeve,

said closed end of the tube having a Tflfilifid part and said valve seat undercutting the closed end of the tube at said reduced part, and a flcxi'nie supporting: member for the valve sPat surrounding" said roduved pzrrn, substantially coextansivn with the engaging part of said undm-cutting valve seat.

1n testimony why-red I have signal my mme to this SQF'CLfiK'ZltiOD. in the presenc'of twn suhriwrnbmg witnesses, this 16th day of 10 Lwglnim', 19(79.

KARL KIEFER. 1V itnewses 1.1m (L .MAMIUSON, Jun F. EGAN. 

